Altyn Amandykova has a master’s degree from her home country. But after coming to the US she realized that she wanted something different. Now she is pursuing what she really enjoys.

Nuclear physics and business are very different fields, but Altyn Amadykova has experience in both of them. In fact, she has that very specific science degree from her home country of Kazakhstan. Three years ago, she came to the US to pursue the same degree here, “I did a master’s degree in nuclear physics in my home country. I came to America so that I could work on a master’s degree here, but it was hard because it is all in English,” she says. “One day I realized it was something that I wasn’t sure that was what I wanted to do with my life.”

That realization started her exploration for a new career path. But for her, it turns out that she didn’t need that big of a change, “In my country I had worked in customer service. It is something that I really liked and something that is important to me,” says Altyn. Everything just fell into place, allowing her to get back to her roots, “So when I was searching for something to do, a friend of mine told me about this place (CSI), and that they offer OPT, so I thought ‘why not?’.”

Convenient Education for F-1 Visa

Computer Systems Institute (CSI) is a popular school for international students with an F-1 Visa in the Chicago and Boston areas. There are six campuses, giving students a lot of choice on where they would like to attend classes if they chose the traditional in-person option. The school welcomes transfer students, like Altyn, who come from other SEVP certified schools. CSI makes the process easy to understand while following US government regulations for international student transfers. 

Going to classes every day isn’t convenient for everyone, so CSI has started a hybrid program that combines in-person and online learning allowing for a bit of flexibility. CSI started offering the program in January of 2025. Altyn was among this first group of international students learning online and in person through this innovative program. She studies Organizational Administration where she is exploring the skills that are required to impact a company’s growth and development, gaining experience with office systems, and taking a deep dive into oral and written communication from a business perspective. 

Altyn attends weekly classes online, but she is required to do in person immersions a few times each quarter. For that she travels to the campus in Lombard, Illinois. She enjoys the convenience, “The campus is pretty far away so it’s good that I can do most of it online,” she says. Although she enjoys learning from home, she says there’s a benefit to the immersions, “I know the campus and if I have any questions for the staff I can ask when I go. The staff is really good. That is really, really important for me, seeing how the staff treats the students and to help when we need it.”

OPT Work Experience for Students

Other available hybrid programs at CSI include Business Fundamentals, Marketing, and Hospitality Leadership. These options give Altyn and other international students the opportunity to explore several concentration areas. “I want to work in hospitality, maybe with tourism or on the restaurant side of customer service,” she says. At this point, she isn’t sure if she’ll take another course but she likes that she has the option to focus on a specific field if she feels she wants to.

Before she makes the decision whether to get more education, Altyn hopes to take part in Optional Practical Training or OPT.  OPT is a popular program that allows F1 Visa holders the opportunity to work in the US after they finish their courses. The students gain valuable experience and get hands-on training in their field of study. Although she is only a few months into her program, she is getting ahead of things, “I’m going to talk to the Designated School Official (DSO) soon so I can learn more about that. I’m hoping to start doing that right away when I finish my studies.”

OPT was a big reason why Altyn chose CSI. “Everyone wants to do OPT. It’s a good way to learn the work style in America to see if it is a good fit,” she says. “That way you can choose if you want to stay or if you want to go back.” 

Things in the US are different than they are in Kazakhstan. She doesn’t really have an opinion on what is better or worse because she is trying to learn what works best for her personally, “The work mentality is different than my home country. Everything is different. The culture is different, the mentality is different, the people are different.”

CSI is a hub for international students and Altyn is enjoying those differences. “You’re meeting a lot of new people and learning about their cultures and mindset,” she says. Altyn sees this mixing pot of people as a positive thing, “It’s good to have classmates from around the world to hear about their different experiences.”

Exploring work culture and studying is just a small part of how Altyn spends her time. “I have a lot of friends here. I like checking out new places and shopping. I also like to run.”

For now, Altyn is focused on digging into her chosen field. Even though she has some experience from prior work in her home country, she says she is still learning new things every day, “I was working in customer service back home but I’ve never studied it,” she says. “There has always been stuff I didn’t know, or terms I didn’t know, so I was just teaching it to myself. Now someone is showing me what I should know. It’s all good. I’m learning so much.” 

If you are an international student who isn’t sure about your current field of study, take a look at what CSI has to offer and how you can transfer. Our staff is available to answer your questions. Contact us now to learn more.